Ib and Garry: After Story
by Forsaken T
Summary: After escaping the gallery Garry promised Ib that he would see her again. Just a few months later the two have a chance meeting at the local park. With the promise being fulfilled the two begin visiting each other weekly. What starts out as a friendship blossoms into something much deeper as the bond between the two grows. See what happens next in this fan follow up to the game!
1. Chapter 1 - The Reunion

Author's Note: This is my first fanfic that I have published. I plan on making it a series with a lot of chapters. Though it will start out very PG I do plan I having lemon content later in the story so it will be rated M to be safe.

Ib and Garry: Afterstory

Chapter 1: Reunion

It had been three months since Garry and Ib had escaped the gallery's horrors. Garry's promise to reunite with Ib happened sooner than he could have expected. Ib had run into him at the local park when she was out riding her bike one day. He had been sitting on the bench and reading a book about some sort of famous murder case. Garry hadn't noticed her until she tugged on his sleeve. When he put his book down she smiled at him and he knew immediately who it was. The two spoke to each other and laughed for almost an hour before Garry had told her that he had her handkerchief at his home waiting for her. He had washed and dried it thoroughly and had it hanging up in his apartment. Garry had asked Ib if she wanted to come with him and pick it up and she had said yes. Garry had a beaten up old truck parked at the edge of the park and the two got inside and drove to his home. Ib had placed her bike in the back of the truck and he had sat her into the passengers seat of the truck. When they reached his home he had given her the handkerchief right away. Afterward he had asked "Want me to cook you something? I am not very good but you look kinda hungry?" Ib nodded "My mom is not very good either." Garry laughed at the girl's brutal honesty. "I am sure she tries her best" Ib just shrugged Garry's response off. Obviously she didn't feel like it was worth further discussion. Garry had cooked up some eggs and was frying and scrambling them. As he did this Ib watched affectionately. When he was done he put them on a white plastic plate and laid it out in front of her. Garry also put a bottle of ketchup next to her just in case. As Ib ate she looked around "Do you live alone" Garry lightly nodded in response to her "Yup I moved out into my own place last year. I have a job at the local thrift store and make enough to sustain myself. I got the job there since people bring in all sorts of cool art from time to time which I always try to buy. I love art, I used to hang around the Guertena Gallery every weekend just admiring its artwork. That is until the gallery tried to kill me." Ib and Garry had a good laugh about their past misfortune. Afterward Ib got out of her seat and touched Garry's hand. "I am glad you didn't die. I was so scared when we got separated and when Mary..." Garry wrapped his coat around her as she said this. Placing his hand on her head he gave her a caring smile. "No need to dwell on it Ib. We made it out of that horrible place alive and well. Let's just enjoy what we have because of all of the crazy stuff that happened." Ib smiled at him "Yeah... It will probably just give me nightmares if I think about it too much. But what did we get from going in there?'" Garry chuckled "I knew you would ask that. Well we got a few priceless things. We got to see what it is like to come within an inch of our lives, which just makes us appreciate our lives more. We got to go on an adventure. Even if it was a scary one it still counts. And most importantly..." Garry placed his hands on the frail girl's shoulders. "I made a great friend." Ib blushed at Garry's words but they meant a lot to her. "Th..thank you. I am glad that is how you feel. I like you a lot as well... You make me happy..." Garry could tell that Ib was trying to express herself as boldly as she could. Despite braving her way through the horrors of the gallery she still had the shyness of a normal girl. Garry could understand this and he himself had to muster up the courage it took to let her know he cared very much. "Well Ib since we have made our friendship official how about we set up a time of the week when we can hang out. I still have to take you to get some macaroons after all." Ib got an excited look on her face "That sounds fun. Today is a good day, I usually go places on Saturdays." ''Works for me." Garry responded in an upbeat tone. Then Ib realized something."What about my parents? I trust you but my parents don't know you. How can I explain what happened and how we met?" Garry hadn't thought about it up until this point but he knew Ib was right. "Yeah that is a very valid point. Not to make things awkward but I am an older guy and you are a young girl. I don't know if your parents would trust me with you..." Ib grew very sad. Garry noticed how drastically her expression changed and he quickly continued what he was saying. "I guess we will have to make the meetings we share our little secret then." Ib was both scared and excited by the idea. She did not know how to respond to Garry at first but she eventually thought of what to say. "Okay then, I can keep a secret. I can just tell them I made a new friend and I am visiting her house. I mean I am sort of telling the truth. Except I am calling you a girl... " Garry laughed at what Ib had said. "I don't mind being a girl if it means that we can spend time together." Ib giggled at Garry's statement. Garry and Ib further discussed their Saturday meetings. They agreed to meet up at the park at the same bench that they had ran into each other. The time they set up was ten thirty in the morning and both agreed to be dedicated to arriving on time. Garry had an idea for the first special thing they could do. "Next weekend I should take you to a good restaurant downtown that serves macaroons." Ib liked the idea and the two set it in stone. After they planned everything out for next time Garry decided to take Ib home. "Wouldn't want you to get home after dark. Your parents don't know you are with a friend so it would probably worry them if you are gone too long." Ib agreed with him "Yeah my parents worry a lot. But I hope we can spend a lot more time together once I tell them I am going to a friend's house." Garry nodded and patted her on the head "Of course." After this Ib got in his truck and the two began to drive to her house. Ib had to direct Garry as to where she lived and they made their way across town. On the way Garry asked if he could play some music and Ib told him that he could. Garry put in a CD that had all sorts of music on it. The songs ranged from opera, to jazz, to indie folk, to contemporary rock. Ib decided to question Garry on his music choice as the kept on driving. "Umm... you have a lot of different music,,," Garry could tell Ib was not put off by the variety but was just curious about it. "Yeah I like all kinds of music. I like to keep things fresh by having all of the genres that I like on one mix CD. I am not someone who can listen to the same kind of thing for an entire car trip." Ib had never really met anyone with such a peculiar taste in music. Then again she had never met anyone like Garry. He spoke like a lady, had a very unique fashion sense, had some cowardly traits but at the same time was incredibly brave when he had to be, and despite how friendly and outgoing he was she could not read him fully. Ib had found out his job and a huge hobby of his but she still felt there was so much of Garry that she didn't know. She wanted to know more, in fact she wanted to know all of her new friend. Looking at him as he watched the road she smiled to herself. There was a warmth in Garry's presence. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he had protected her in the gallery but she felt it was more than that. Ib knew she could trust him and that he would never do anything to hurt her. All of the odd things about him were just another part of what made him special to her. She would do everything that she could to hold onto him. "I am glad that I found you today... I was very surprised..." Garry quickly looked over at Ib to acknowledge her and then looked back at the road. "Yeah I was caught off guard... But it was in a good way!" Garry had in fact been very shocked to see Ib in the park that day. But both of them had been relieved to know that they lived so close to each other. Garry's truck finally reached Ib's street and she snapped out of her deep thought. "My house is just a few houses down to the left. It is white and there should be a black car parked in the driveway." Garry kept his eyes peeled. "I should probably drop you off on the sidewalk near it. After all your parents would probably be very suspicious of you getting dropped off by an odd looking truck like mine." Ib told him that he was right and right before they reached her house he stopped the truck. Ib got out and grabbed her bike from the back. She waved to Garry and he responded with a wave. Ib then walked down the sidewalk and towards her house. Garry watched her until she reached it to make sure she was safe and then headed home. It was a day both of them would remember fondly for the rest of their lives. Not only had the promise of reunion been fulfilled but the start of a new chapter in both of their lives had begun.

Author's Note: Well that was Chapter 1... I will try and regularly update this series and make changes or adjustments based on feedback. Please tell me what you think of my story and be as honest as possible. I may not even add lemon if enough people object to it, though if the plot demands it at some point I will still do it. If I do add lemon it wont be forced and will be at a crucial story moment. See you later!


	2. Chapter 2 - Macaroons

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long but school is a thing that happens XD I tried to put as much effort as I could into this episode. It is longer than the first and I hope you enjoy it!

Ib and Garry: Afterstory

Chapter 2: Macaroons

The week went by slowly for Ib as she anticipated the upcoming weekend. Her parents had questioned her about her new friend and what she was like. Ib had to keep lying to them but due to her typical quiet and introverted nature she could easily lie without looking insincere. "How old is she?" her mother asked. "She is twelve, just a little bit older than I am." Ib responded. She tried her best not to stretch the truth too far. Her friend was older but certainly much older than she could say. "Is her family nice?" Ib's father asked. Ib didn't know much about Garry's family. She knew that she had to ask him since she was interested in learning more about his family. But when answering her father she just said "I don't see much of them but they seem nice." Ib knew she had to be as convincing as possible but her parents didn't seem to doubt her at all. This relieved her and she tried to avoid the subject of her friend whenever she could. She did inform her parents about her regular visits every weekend and they seemed fine with it. Ib had always been a well behaved child and it had helped her gain her parent's trust. With her parents out of the way Ib just had to wait. Meanwhile Garry had also been excited for the weekend. Garry had been working hard at the thrift store when someone had brought in a very odd yet beautiful piece of artwork. It was a rose made of stitched together fabrics. There seem to be little pieces of hundreds of different fabrics that had been sewed together to make such a unique little creation. Garry had been mesmerized by it the second he saw it. The person who brought it in was a friendly woman who seemed to be in a hurry. Thrift store policy did not allow the customer to get too much money for there donation but Garry gave the woman as much as he could. Once he got the rose Garry quickly paid double to buy it himself. It was the perfect gift for Ib he thought, and he wanted to give it to her after their meal Saturday. It had cost Garry a good amount of money but he knew that she was worth it. When Saturday finally came Ib told her parents she was going to ride her bike to her friend's house and they saw her off. Garry had arrived at the park as early as possible since he did not want to have to make Ib wait. Garry waited about twenty minutes before Ib showed up on her bike. She got off and gave Garry a brief hug. Garry smiled at her "Good to see you Ib! How is your week?" The two walked to Garry's truck. "It was alright. Are you okay...?" Garry helped her put her bike into the back of the truck "Yup I am great! Had a semi productive week. Plus I am really excited for today." The two got into his truck and he began to drive downtown. "You ever been downtown?" Garry asked. "Yes... I go downtown sometimes with my mom to go shopping for clothes." Ib replied. Garry eyed Ib's usually formal attire "So that is where you get all of those pretty clothes. I bet you shop at a pretty high end store?" Ib looked confused "What does that mean?" Garry remembered that Ib's vocabulary wasn't at the same level as his. "Well high end is like another way of saying fancy and expensive." Ib understood now "Ah okay I get it... Yeah it is a very fancy store. I know my mom always tells me not to mess my clothes up since they cost a lot." Garry had known that Ib's family was quite well off. He wondered what their careers were but decided not to ask her just yet. Instead he decided to crack a joke. "Yeah my clothes are not even on the same level as yours. Most of it is second hand stuff I pick up at the thrift store where I work. But hey I enjoy my cheap attire." Ib giggled a bit "I like your clothes. They suit you..." Garry blushed "Thanks, I am glad you like them." The two of them were silent for a bit, enjoying each others presence. Ib was the one who finally broke it. "Your jacket is warm... It feels very cozy too..." Garry nodded in agreement "Yeah it comes in handy on a cold day. But I mainly wear it for fashion reasons." Garry stopped the truck at the first red light. Ib looked at the hustled civilians running around the downtown city streets. The area was so full of life, especially compared to the small and quiet, middle class, community that Ib had grown up in. When the light turned green Garry spoke "We should be there in a few minutes." The truck pulled around the corner of the street. Ib wanted to say something but she felt a bit nervous. Being as shy as she was she usually relied on Garry to trigger whatever conversation that she would participate in. Ib knew she wanted today to be special though. So she decided to try speak up. "Um..." Garry looked over at her. "Yes Ib?" Ib could feel herself piece together exactly what she had to say. "I...I'm not very good at starting conversations...but I like to talk to you... so if I don't say anything could you..." Garry knew what the demure child was trying to say. "You want me to bring up some subjects to keep things lively if they get too quiet?" Ib gave a gentle nod. Garry pondered what to discuss with his friend while he drove down the city street, once again hampered by a red light. "Well, how about this. I tell you five facts that not very many people know about me and I do the same for you?" Ib liked the idea. "Sure." Garry then started, "Fact number one: I have an irrational fear of raccoons." Ib giggled "Why?" Garry shrugged "I dunno, they are just creepy to me." After he said this the two pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant called Ernie's Italian Diner. "We are here. I guess we will finish this conversation while we wait for our meals." Ib agreed with Garry and the two went inside. The restaurant smelled lovely, like many different varieties of food. Garry asked Ib if she preferred traditional tables or a booth and she chose the booth. The two sat down and waited for the waiter to arrive. "Fact two: I have never gotten along very well with males. All of my friends in school were female. I just always saw guys acting like they had something to prove. They seemed more closed off whereas girls seemed more open and true to themselves. That being said, it was always hard to get a girlfriend since they either thought I was gay or they friend zoned me." Ib was interested in what he had said. "That is sad... What does friend zoned mean though?" Garry chuckled "Yeah I guess I should have figured you would not understand that. Friend zoning is basically when you get along really well with a girl but for some reason they only want to be friends. It never made much sense to me but a lot of girls seem to only want to date guys that treat them poorly." Ib was even more curious now. "But that doesn't make sense... Why would a girl want a mean boyfriend?" Garry let out a nervous chuckle that masked a little bit of hurt. "Its really difficult to understand. You may get it when you are older." Garry had not fully answered Ib's question but she could tell that he was hiding some feelings that he would rather not share. The waiter arrived shortly after this. "What would you two like to order?" Ib and Garry had picked what they wanted off of the menu. Garry ordered some chicken and noodles and Ib got lasagna with parmesan. The waiter left to fulfill their orders and Ib and Garry continued talking. "Fact three: I used to practice violin in middle school." Ib was impressed "Violin sounds really pretty. Why did you stop?" Garry knew he had to word his answer in a way that would make sense to Ib. "I stopped because it was taking up too much time. I was pretty good but everyone in my class seemed as good or somewhat better. Plus I felt that I wasn't really passionate about it. I wanted to spend my time on something I cared about more." Ib understood perfectly. She remembered taking dancing classes when she was eight and how much she hated it. She practically had to beg her mom to get her out. But she didn't feel like she could tell Garry that since it was pretty embarrassing. "I understand. If people don't care about what they are doing then their life must be pretty boring." Garry nodded "Yeah I know. Anyways I ended up taking art class which I really loved, so I have no regrets. Ib was very intrigued by this "Is that how you came to love art?" Garry smiled "Yup. In fact the fourth fact is that I have painted a few pictures myself. Ib's eyes widened "Really? Can I see them someday..." Garry nodded "Yeah I've just gotta find them. They are buried in my closet somewhere. I haven't painted since high school and they are not very good but if you want to see them than I have no objections." Ib smiled. She was happy to have learned something like this about Garry. Knowing how unique a person Garry is Ib was very curious about what sort of artwork he had created. "Cool I hope that you can find them then..." Seeing Ib light up like she did when he mentioned his artwork made Garry very happy. "No problem! I will make sure to search really hard and see if I can spot them." The waiter came around with Ib and Garry's meals. "Well let's chow down." Garry said as he picked up some noodles with his fork. The two slowly and peacefully ate their meal. Every now and then Ib would look up at Garry who had been paying attention to his plate. Garry caught her gaze once though and Ib had quickly looked back down at her meal in response. Garry quickly look down at his meal again and the two of them blushed. When they finished their meals Garry asked her how her meal was. "Good... Really good..." Ib said trying to sound as satisfied as possible. "I'm glad." Garry said with a soft smile. The waiter came around "Would you two like dessert?" Garry looked over at Ib and grinned and she smiled back at him. The time had come. "A plate of macaroons please." The waiter acknowledged Garry's order and quickly hurried off. During the wait Garry decided to finish his previous conversation with Ib. "Fact five: I never had many friends..." The entire tone of the room changed. Ib felt a little sad and she could see Garry was trying to be honest with her. Garry knew he wanted to share this with her. "I am no loner, people just... they get put off by me. In school I always had a pal or two but I only had a few consistent friends. None of them talk to me these days though... I last had contact with one of them seven months ago. They all moved on I guess..." Ib wanted to say something but she did not know what to say. All she could do was give him an expression that showed she cared. Garry continued "I was an outcast, after all I dressed weird, only hung around girls, and didn't fit into any of the typical cliques you see in schools. I don't want you to be sad though or try and comfort me. I am not saying this to get pity, I am saying this because I want you to know how precious your company is to me. Don't feel like you are just a kid and I am some grown up who thinks of you as less than him. You are my dearest friend, after the gallery you could have easily forgotten about me and ignored me in the park but you didn't. I can see how much you care, even if you don't know how to properly express it with words yet. Your feelings are genuine, I have never seen you come off as fake. And its not just because you are a kid... you are special..." Ib blushed but her chest felt really warm. She looked up at Garry and channeling the warmth in her gave him a smile. "Thank you Garry..." Garry was about to respond when the waiter came in with a plate of macaroons. Garry changed the subject to fit the occasion "Well then, on the count of three we will both eat one." The two of them lifted one each off of the plate. Garry counted "3...2...1..." And then they each took a bite of their respective macaroon. Ib's mouth immediately began to fill with sweetness. It was such a simple but inviting taste. Before she knew it she had eaten one and moved on to the next one. Garry could see how much she was enjoying them and made sure to only eat a few so she could have as much as she needed. After a few minutes the plate of macaroons was completely barren. "Sooo how did they taste?" Garry said playfully. "A...mazing!" Ib said in a completely cheerful tone. Garry laughed "See I told you so!" The two were filled with joy, the meal and the night had been a success. When they got back in the truck Ib spoke up. "About what you said..." Ib had finally found her words. "Those people who thought you were weird... who abandoned you... they were wrong. I think you are cool... and the nicest person I have ever met... so don't feel sad... because I like you a lot." Garry knew that Ib put everything into those words. She may not have had the vocabulary but what she meant was clear. Garry put his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you..." Ib blushed but she didn't feel nervous she just looked him in the eyes. The two just stared at each other. Garry quickly embraced her in a hug. Ib didn't flinch, she just sat there and closed her eyes taking in all of his warmth. After a minute he let go. "I am sorry..." She lightly grasped his hand "Don't be sorry... I have hugged you before." Garry nodded at her very valid response "I know, it is just different when I do it..." They sat in silence again for a bit before Garry finally decided to start up the car. They began the silent drive home towards Ib's place. "What about my five facts...?" Ib said silently. Garry had forgotten about how she had a turn as well. "How about you think really hard about them and tell me next time. After all, it makes it more special if some serious thought is put into it, right?" Ib nodded "Yeah that is true." Garry had figured that she probably could not come up with the right thing to say on the spot though it wasn't his main intent behind what he had said. "Anyways Ib, it gives me one extra thing to be excited for next time we meet." Ib liked to think about it that way. But she had one important thing to tell him that she had almost forgotten. "By the way... my birthday is next week... you don't have to get me anything but..." Garry interrupted her "I will give you something. In fact I have a great idea." Ib's eyes lit up "Cool, just don't feel any pressure..." Garry patted her on the head "Please don't be modest. You are a good friend, of course I want to celebrate your birthday." Ib knew he didn't like it when she was modest but she couldn't help it. "Okay. My birthday is Friday so we can celebrate the day after when I see you." Garry turned onto Ib's street "Sounds good." Garry stopped his car "I hope your tenth birthday goes really well Ib." She thanked him and was about to leave when Garry realized that he had forgotten something very crucial. "Wait Ib!" She turned to face him. Garry reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the rose he had purchased at the thrift store. "This isn't your birthday gift, it is just a little something that I wanted to give you." Ib took it in her hands and stared at it. "I.. love it..." It was the perfect gift, it reminded Ib of when they first met and she had helped him in the gallery. It was also the kind of art that she had been interested in the most. "Thank you Garry, I hope to see you once again really soon." Garry smiled at the frail girl he had grown so attached to. "Of course Ib, I will always be at that bench waiting for you. Always..."

Author's Note: So that is it for now. I will make sure to update more regularly from now on. Tune in next time to see what happens the day after Ib's birthday! :)


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